Tufting-washer.



W. I. ROBERTSON. TUFTING WASHER. APPLICATION FILED APR.21, 1914.

1,1 1 1,034. Patented Sept. 22, 19-14.

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3 (mm M at C WILLIAM F. ROBERTSON, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 21, 1914. Serial No. 883,407.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM F. ROBERT- soN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing incin'nati, in the county of Hamilton and State ofOhio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tufting-Washers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved fastening for the tufting orplaiting of upholstering for vehicles, furniture, &c., and for analogouspurposes, said fastening comprising a tufting shank, and a washer havingan opening for the shank of the button, said shank adapted to be passedthrough the upholstering and the opening in the washer and to be spreador bent to securely hold the button in place and to the washer.

.The leading feature of my invention is the which washer is speciallyvwasher itself and fashioned to give it increased strength and rigidity,and, a1

so, to protect the burlap,

part of the upholsterthe washer any sharp angles or edges which wouldtend to abrade or cutlthe burlap, canvas or other fabric againstwhichthe washer is held under some pressure when the head and washer areunited to form an operative. fastening, and as I will hereinafterdescribe and claim.

11 the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification and inwhich siming by omitting from llar reference characters indicate likeparts slightly modifie have illustrated in the several views: Figure 1is a sectional view of a fra ent of tufted upholstering showing one ormof my improvement applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a plan view and ig. 3 is asectional view of a washer detached. Figs. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and '10showforms of washers. In Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings Isufiicient of a tufted upholstering to make one'of the uses of myinvention fully understood and Fwherein, A, designates the outercovering of some suitable or desired material, and B,is the usualbacking or foundation which may canvas, straw-board, or other suitablematerial". 7 y

f The tufting button, C, may be of the usual or any suitable form havinga head, a, covered or otherwise, and a divided. For ill adopted'a buttonwhose shank is split lengthto form two prongs, c, which are do buttonhaving ahead and a terial and there is canvas when the -.thereagainst.

The washer, D, may be of any suitable I aracter of the upshank, 6,single or' ustrative purposes I have j tangul'ar or slotted signed to beinserted through the covering and backing or foundation of theupholstering, said shanks, or prongs, serving with a co-acting washer,which I will hereinafter describe, to hold the aforesaid parts of theupholstering together at the tufting points.

In the drawings I have shown several modified forms of washers which Imay use with the tufting button described or with any other form oftufting button or like Patented Sept. 22, rate.

device, but in each of the forms of washers illustrated there is presentthe leading featlllre of my, improvement, as it will now exp Theordinary washer. used for upholstering purposes is stamped or otherwiseformed from sheet metal, as tin, and is usually in the form of a flatdisk pierced at its center to receive the shank of the tufting buttonand beneath which washerjthe end of the shank, or the ends of the prongsof the shank when a split or divided shank is used, is bent to therebyhold the button and shank together and with the upholstering clampedtherebetween. In th ployed for the purposes stated, the peripheral edge,when the washer is in use, lies in direct contact tion of theupholstering so that in a comparatively short time the canvas,,burlap orother backingis injured by the sharp edge of the washer cutting into thesame.

he improved washersshown in the drawings are each formed with theperipheral edge rounded ,or turned down or away from and out of directcontact canvas or other surface, as distinguished from the shar edge ofthe flatwashers of the prior art 15 presented to the burlap, canvas orother maabsent any part which would'tend to abrade or cut the burlap orwasher is tightly clamped with the burlap,

sizesaccording to the ch V bolstering. It is shown as being in the formof; a circular disk but partake of any other desired design so long asthere is present therein the downturned projecting edge and asubstantially extend ed or broad smooth bearing surface next to theburlap or canvas backing. The washer of Figs. 1 and 2, has a centralopening a, which may be circular: or may be of recform, as shown at d inwith the backing or foundabacking whereby a rounded manifestly it may ewashers heretofore emthe intended work. the central portion in Fig. 4,increases Fig. 5. the preferred form of washer, shown in Figs. 1 and 2,the central portion of said washe'r,buta I corrugation, 2, or 1ts whenthe additional equivalent, is employed.- The corrugation," need not becircular in outl1ne;,in

however, Fig. 6 it is shown many-sided as at 3, and it may besubstantially radial as at 4--5 in Figs; 7 and 8, or it may partake ofthe form of a series of depressions as at 6 in Fig.9. In other words,the specific character of the corrugation is immater1al,.my inventioncomprehending broadly any means for upsetting ordeflecting a portion,or'portions,

of the washer to give added rigidity to the Washer as a whole. Also, acorrugated dished washer, D, as shown in Fig. 10, would come within thescope of my invention since the, edge in this case is so dislacedrelatively to the backing of the up-' olstering thatit does not contactdirectly therewith so as to have a tendency to cut or injure the same. 1

In all of the formh of washers shown, the

- object isto stifien the washer and to pur- ,posely turn' the sharpedge of the washer to one side and away from the canvas, burlap or otherback part of upholstering for buggies, carriages and automobiles,furniture, or other purposes, to thereby protect this flexible materialfrom the edge of the washer, and also from the points of the shank ofthe tufting button.

' The shank of the button passes through the upholstering at the tuftingpoint and also passes through the opening or slot in the washer and theend, or ends, of" the shank is then bent to one side, to hold the buttonand washer in relative position.

By turning down the'peripheral edge of the washer, thefabric of theupholsterin is not only protected but said downturne edge formssubstantially all annular-hous- 9 ing, e, on what would be the back ofthe washer for the end, or ends," ofthe bentshank,-or the pron sthereof, therebypree' venting the possib'lity of the same in ur1ng thefabric backing the shank, or the prongs in the case of a divided orsplit shank, to be practically contained within the housing andto bewithin the plane of-the downturned edge of. the washer. If desired, thewasher may be formed with an annular rib or corrugation,

peripheral edgiturned inclosing housing) I of the upholstering. Theconstruction specifiedenables the bent end of surrounding the centralopening and which materially strengthens. the wall of the opening. r

In Fi 5, the central opening is formed by pricking the center to formthe stiffening tongues or flanges, h. In this case the opening iselongatedand appears more like a slot, but the opening may be circular,or otherwise, as desired.

In using a button having a shank or aprong or prongs of sufiicientlength, when bent, to extend beyondthe peripheral edge of the washer,the turned edge of said washer will, it is apparent, so deflect theshank or prong that the extremity of the same will be held out ofabrading or damaging contact with the backin of the upholstering.

Having thus. escribed my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is- 1. As an article of manufacture, a tuftingwasher having a peripheral edge turned to one side to carryit out ofengagement wi the fabric forming the back of the upholstering, saidwasher being corrugated inside of said-edge. v

2. As an article of manufacture, a tufting washer depressed between itscenter and periphery to give it increasedgigidit'y, said. washer havinga eripheral edge turned'to one side to carry it out of en agement withthe fabric forming the back 0 the upholstering, said washer beingcorrugated inside of sa1d ed e and said turned edge of the washer orminganinclosin housing.

- 3. As an article of manu acture, a tuftmg washer depressed between itscenter w riphery to give it increased rigidity, sa1d washer having aperipheral edge turned t'o one side to carry it out of en agementwiththe fabric formin the back 0. the upholstering, and said was erhaving a central opening and a strengthening rib surrounding sa1dopening. I 4. The combination with a tufting button having a headandshank, of a was er having. an opening to admit sa1d shank, sa1d washerhaving a substantially convexed surface. corrugated between the .centerand circumference and adapted-to directly engage the backing ofupholsteringand av ng a to one side and away g and adapted to form aninto which the shank of the button may e turned, substantially as andfor the purposes descrlbed. In testimonywhereof I afiix my slgnature inpresence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM F.'ROBERTSON. Witnesses: I I T T. W. Fowmn,

' C. W. Fowmm.

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